Rebirth: The Tale of the Sarmatian Knights
by Sinkme
Summary: DISCONTINUED
1. Final Mission and a Journey Home

Hey everyone!

So I was watching King Arthur the other day on TV and it struck me that Tristan is really hot, but he's in very few of the shots and he doesn't have that many lines.

I decided to change that.

This story will mostly follow the story in the movie, except for some changes and that it will be centered on Tristan 

The story starts where the movie starts- with the attack of the Woads, I'll be skipping all the sentimental crap with the fifteen year olds in the very beginning.

Disclaimer: No, sadly, I don't own Tristan or any other Sarmatian knights

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"A pint of ale says something goes wrong before we're back" the Sarmatian knights looked to see Lancelot smirking. "What, it's not like you're all expecting that our last mission would go off without a hitch." He shrugged.

Bors laughed and said "I'll accept that challenge." They grasped hands and laughed as they watched the caravan carrying the bishop come closer to them.

Tristan and Arthur were looking around warily, this was known Woad territory, and the bishop was an important man in Rome, they were both expecting an attack.

Tristan suddenly pulled out his bow and fired off a shot. A muffled cry in the woods revealed the position of the Woad scout, and with their cover blown, the rest of the Woads came screaming out of the woods.

"Looks like Lancelot wins" Tristan called out as he raced to catch up to Arthur, who had already led his horse to charge the Woads head on. The other knights formed behind Arthur as well, in a flying V of sorts. Arthur led them, with Lancelot on his right, then Bors, and then Tristan. On Arthur's left were Gawain, Galahad, and Dagonet.

They crashed through the Woad lines with relative ease, and then separated so they could not be overtaken all at once. Most of the knights dismounted after a few minutes to spare their horses. Arthur and Galahad remained on their horses and rode over to the bishop's carriage. They each took one side and stayed there to protect the bishop from any direct attacks.

Bors and Dagonet were easily overpowering the Woads, who were better at quick, deliberating attacks, rather than the physical and often brutal method Bors and Dagonet favored. Although Dagonet was surprisingly kind for a hardened knight, he fought fiercely and did what he needed to do in order to protect the men who had become closer than brothers to him.

This held true for all of the knights; there used to be so many more, and now, in their last mission, they numbered only seven, including Arthur. They were all brothers in everything except blood, which, based on the number of injuries they had each sustained, would prove to bond them as well.

Tristan, Gawain, and Lancelot were each engaged in separate battles with one or two enemies on foot. Although Tristan was the best of all the knights with a bow, he was a proficient swordsman as well- he had to be. Gawain was also skilled with a sword, as well as a bow. Lancelot, though, was one of the best swordsmen of all the knights, only second to Arthur himself.

As quickly as the battle had begun, it was dwindling down. Tristan called his horse and retrieved his bow in order to pick off the stragglers as they ran away. He had killed five before the others caught on to what he was doing and started to help. Lancelot took care of checking that the remaining Woads were really dead, and Arthur and Galahad had located the real bishop hiding among the soldiers.

Tristan could feel the excitement of his brothers-in-arms as they rode home. He reflected on that word- _home-_ it might be home for him, but home for everyone else had a different meaning. They had a place to return to, people to see again. Tristan had learned long ago that his village had died out of a disease, and Dagonet's village burned down two years after that. They had both considered staying with Arthur since they trusted him and knew he would need loyal knights while he was in Rome.

Tristan narrowed his eyes as he noticed the bishop ride closer to Arthur and turn to talk quietly to him. Arthur looked at him sharply and shook his head, "Absolutely not, I cannot even consider asking this of them." He rode off and Tristan decided to follow him.

He approached Arthur quietly; he knew Arthur would speak when he was ready. "He told me that there was another mission that we are needed for." Tristan nodded silently, he had suspected as much, and nudged his horse to walk up to Arthur's.

"How can I ask you- and them- to make another sacrifice, when your freedom should be yours. You have all given up so much for a land that isn't yours. You shouldn't be called upon now, or ever again. But I can't sacrifice a boy and his family to the Woads or to Saxons." Arthur hung his head, in what, Tristan assumed, was an act of humility to the God Arthur believed in.

"We do not fight for Rome. We never have. We have always fought, and lived, and bled, for you. I cannot speak for the others, but I trust that they feel what I feel. We trust you. If you say this must be done then we will do it. Dagonet and I were planning on staying with you anyway. There is nothing for us to return to, and I suspect you will need us." Tristan said this quietly, contemplating each word as he said it.

Arthur looked at him in wonder; that had to be the most words that Tristan had ever said to anyone at one time since he met Tristan when he was fifteen. He reflected on what he said and found that Tristan didn't speak with empty words, trying to reassure him. He believed in what he said. Arthur put a hand on Tristan's shoulder in silent thanks and said, "Come, they must be back already."

As they rode back, Tristan's hawk circled overhead, waiting to land on his arm. Tristan had rescued the hawk on a mission in his second year of knighthood. An arrow had been lodged in its wing and Tristan had cared for it until it could fly again. He released it, but three days later it came back. Ever since then, the hawk had followed Tristan and proved to be easy to train, making it useful for when Tristan scouted.

They rode up through the gates and dismounted. Leaving their horses in the stables, Arthur told the knights to meet him in their conference room. Tristan waited in the shadows, wondering how they would take the news.

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Alright here's chapter 1

As I said, it will follow the basic outline of the movie- the battles, the major occurrences, etc, but the dialogue and minor character actions will mostly be mine.

If anyone wants me to write in an OC for Tristan to meet and possibly fall in love with let me know in your review (hint hint)

Also let me know if you want to add in any ideas or if you have any criticisms.

Thanks,

Sinkme


	2. Secret Revealed and Moving Out

Ok here's chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still do not own Tristan or anyone else from King Arthur.

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The knights walked over to the tavern first, mostly so Bors would be able to assure Vanora that he was alive. Tristan smiled inwardly and thought, 'Vanora is one tough woman. I don't envy Bors.' After Bors and Vanora met and had two children, Vanora had become well known to the knights and took to looking after them. She would often be the one to help them when they came back bloodied and wounded.

Luckily, none of them were severely wounded from the fight; they would look at their minor injuries later. Tristan had already bandaged a long cut on his arm from a Woad blade, and he knew that Galahad had already looked after the wound he received from the Woads.

He was walking towards the conference room when he saw several of Bors' children on their way to the tavern, looking anxious. Despite the fact that they didn't have names, Bors cared deeply for all of his children, as they did for him. Tristan had come to know most of them very well. He taught several of the boys and a couple of the older girls basic fighting stances and archery.

"He's alright and already in the tavern." Tristan told them to ease their fears. "And you?" The oldest girl asked him. Tristan sighed. By now, all the knights and Vanora knew that he was a private man. He spoke little and asked for help rarely; he would never complain about his problems or ask someone for help unless he was too injured to avoid it. Of course, this didn't stop people from asking him.

He gave the girl, who he called Adele, his customary look and replied as he always did, "I am well." He tossed her an apple and headed to meet Arthur.

Tristan was the first knight after Arthur to enter the conference room. It had been Arthur's idea to create a round table. Already guilty at the knowledge that his knights had been forced from their homes to fight for Rome, he decided that equality was the least he could give them.

Tristan took his usual place and glanced sadly at the empty chairs of the dozen or so knights who had died on missions. They had been his brothers and he missed them. He looked up when Lancelot entered and soon the rest of the knights followed.

The pages came into the room with goblets; they were all filled with wine except for one. Tristan drank only water; he had avoided ale or wine even since he was posted at Hadrian's Wall. He knew that they could be called on for a mission at any time, and while the others might have the luxury of time to whittle away their hangovers, he needed to be alert since he was the scout.

He looked at the happy faces of the other knights and wondered once again how they would take the news. He knew that he didn't trust the Bishop. No matter what Arthur said, he would never trust any Roman except for Arthur. The rest were greedy and corrupt.

His thinking was interrupted when the Bishop walked in and surveyed the room. "I was given to understand there would be more of you" the Bishop said pompously, ignorant of the obvious explanation. "There were, we have been fighting for fifteen years, Bishop" Arthur said calmly, although there was a hint of the pain and guilt he was feeling in his eyes.

The Bishop proceeded with an unwelcome and impromptu speech about the valor of Arthur and his knights. He brushed Lancelot's comment away after the knight pointed out that this would be their last day of service. He also took a stab at their religions.

Arthur had made it a point throughout the fifteen years they had been together to allow them the freedom to practice their own religion and retain their own beliefs.

Tristan almost wished it would be Arthur to break the news to his knights, not this arrogant Roman. He had to restrain himself when the Bishop said that Rome was withdrawing from Britain since it was an indefensible outpost.

'He's asking for someone to attack him. Does he realize that he just told us that we risked our lives for the past fifteen years for Rome to abandon all that we defended?' Tristan was furious, and a quick glance at Lancelot was enough to tell him that he wasn't the only one. He decided to intervene before it became messy.

"Arthur, the Bishop obviously needs to talk to you. Let us leave you in peace and we will report to you later." Tristan said, with an obvious show of forced humility to the Bishop. The Bishop looked pleased at this and Arthur nodded grimly; he understood what Tristan was doing and appreciated it.

The knights, though, were suspicious. They knew Tristan well enough to know that he only spoke when necessary, and for him to speak now meant something was wrong. Lancelot stood jerkily, trying to refrain from saying or doing something he might regret later. With a glance at Tristan, who was already heading to the tavern, the rest left as well and followed the silent knight.

"What was that all about?" Lancelot asked angrily as soon as they were out of earshot. Tristan knew that his anger was directed at Rome and not him, so he didn't snap back at the dark haired man.

"What kind of brother would I be if I couldn't tell when you were angry?" he joked to lighten the mood. "Besides, the Bishop was dripping poison in our ears. Arthur will tell us anything that's important later."

Gawain looked at him appraisingly, "You're not telling us something." Tristan narrowed his eyes, but said lightly, "Arthur told me something but I would rather you all hear it from him if it turns out to be true." He nodded his head to them and walked to the armory to check his weapons.

The other knights walked into the tavern, but Dagonet followed Tristan. He wasn't used to seeing the silent knight so upset and it bothered him. 'Whatever Arthur told him is big, and I have a bad feeling about it' he thought.

When Dagonet entered the armory he saw Tristan restringing his bow. Dagonet walked over and picked up his axe. He started to sharpen it and waited for Tristan to tell him what Arthur told him.

"We could have another mission" Tristan said after a couple minutes of silence, "One far worse than any other we've had. There is a Roman family behind Woad lines and the Saxons are closing in on them. The Bishop told Arthur that he would be sending us on this final mission before he would release us."

Dagonet was silent, but Tristan could tell he was upset. Although neither of them had anywhere to return to once they were free, they still valued their freedom. They knew they would most likely follow Arthur, and that they would die in battle, but they wanted to be able to choose that battle.

Dagonet finally said, "I will follow Arthur. As I suspect you will. The others will come as well. They won't be thrilled, but they won't let us go alone." He nodded to Tristan and they silently finished caring for their weapons.

Jols walked in and told them that Arthur was out of his meeting with the Bishop and he needed to talk to all the knights.

Arthur looked agitated as he approached his knights. He cleared his throat and said "Knights, you have each proven yourselves many times over, and this should be a day of celebration. But I am afraid that I come with bad news. The Bishop has requested that before you are discharged, you carry out one final mission. Know that this will probably be the most dangerous mission we have undertaken. I should not be asking this of you, it is not fair that Rome has decided to break her agreement with you. If anyone does not wish to go, I will inform the Bishop that you were injured and cannot come. None of you are bound to this mission, in my eyes you are all free men."

Tristan and Dagonet remained silent, they knew there was no need to pressure the other knights into coming; they would reach that conclusion without their nudges. As everyone predicted, Lancelot was the first to speak.

"Arthur, tell me this is a joke. You come to us on the day that we should be free to tell us this. Your Rome has broken her pact, why should we honor ours?" He shook his head, angry at the situation, but not at his commander. He looked up at Arthur, "You are as close to a brother as I can ever have. I trust you, and I will follow you on this mission, but if we are not discharged, do not hold me back."

"If you are not discharged I will go with you to the Rome herself and demand your freedom." Arthur said, and they all knew that he meant every word of it.

Slowly the other knights voiced their agreement. "I am with you Arthur" said Gawain. Dagonet and Tristan nodded and said, "We are as well." Galahad looked upset but said, "I will follow your lead on this." Bors, too, was upset, he looked to the other knights and said, "If something should happen, watch over Vanora and all my little bastards."

Arthur told them to pack since they would leave at first light and one by one, the knights walked through the tavern and to the small apartments they rented above it.

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Alright, there's chapter 2.

Since no one reviewed I've decided to make it a TristanOC with several OC for the other knights as well.

I would really appreciate a review. Even if you just tell me that you're reading it I would be happy.

Always,

Sinkme


	3. Saxons and a Knight Down

Alright, here's chapter 3!

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers: T.Dahila and ExtremeAngelxJeffHardyFan!!! You make me happy!

By the way, this chapter has a couple of swear words- it's nothing too bad, since they're right from the movie, but this is my warning.

And no, I still don't own Tristan, although I have several pictures of him.

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At first light the gate was opened and the seven knights rode out at a hard gallop. They wanted to get to the Roman family as quickly as possible to avoid inviting an attack that could come if they tarried. The Bishop had insisted on his assistant accompanying them, but a fierce glare from Bors and Lancelot assured the Bishop that such an accommodation would not be welcomed.

After they were several miles away from the wall, Tristan broke ranks to ride ahead. As he rode, he sent his hawk up into the air. Arthur watched them go and hoped, as he did every time Tristan went to scout, that he would come back safely.

'Tristan is such a good scout that sometimes I forget that I am sending him straight into the enemy by himself. He has never been captured or injured scouting, but I still worry for him.'

The six remaining knights held a steady pace and before noon, Tristan's hawk was circling overhead. Arthur held out his arm and the bird flew down to it. He and Tristan had taught the hawk to carry messages between the commander and the scout. Arthur took the message from the hawk's leg and read his scratchy handwriting.

_I have come to the woods. I suspect there are Woads waiting to ambush us, but it would take too long to avoid the forest. I cannot find an alternative path. I trust your decision and will wait at the edge of the woods._

Arthur nodded to himself and thought, _'_We must cross through the woods and hope that we avoid any traps and Woads.'

They reached the forest and saw Tristan trotting towards them. "There is only one path that we could follow, we would have to take that path and hope the Woads leave us alone, or try to go around the woods, which would take longer than we have."

Arthur said "We will have to go through the woods. Knights, be on your toes, the Woads have the advantage here."

They proceeded into the forest in a single line; Tristan, Galahad, and Gawain had their bows in their hand. Lancelot, Bors, and Dagonet had their swords ready, and Arthur was at the front with Excalibur.

As the sun continued to set the knights became more anxious. It was darker in the woods, almost as if the light couldn't penetrate the darkness that was the woods. Tristan suddenly looked to his left.

"Arthur, the Woads are tracking us. They have been following us. We are heading into a trap." He said, without taking his eyes off the Woad he spotted.

"We can't turn back now, we must continue through." Lancelot responded.

The whole party was on high alert, ready for the Woads to attack, waiting to spring the trap they were walking into, waiting for anything.

'The waiting is almost as bad as being attacked' Gawain thought. 'They must be waiting us out to see if we'll crack.'

Suddenly several arrows were fired in front of Arthur. The arrows had rope attached to it, forcing the commander to change his course. 'They are going to steer us to where they want us to go and we have no choice but to follow.'

They continued their frenzied gallop, avoiding the ropes that sprung out of nowhere and watching the trees for Woads. The horses were getting restless and out of control from being constantly fired at and forced to change directions.

Finally, the Woads showed themselves, just as Arthur realized that they were trapped. Woads popped up out of every direction, blocking their escape. Arthur cursed himself for leading his knights into this position.

By now, all the knights had their weapons fully at the ready. Tristan, Gawain, and Galahad had already picked their targets and were waiting for the signal to fire. Just as it seemed that the Woads would attack, a horn sounded. Arthur blinked, 'I know that sound. That's the horn that the Woads blew when they were leaving after they destroyed my village. Why would it be sounding now? Unless Merlin is calling them to retreat.'

Several of the Woads looked hesitant to answer the call, but after several minutes, all traces of the Woads were gone, as if they had never been there.

The knights were spooked at how easily the Woads disappeared, but also at how close they had come to a battle they weren't sure they could have won. By an unspoken agreement, they rode hard through the woods and camped once they had put a reasonable amount of distance between them and the woods.

The next morning they continued out and came to house before midday. Arthur looked around curiously, 'I didn't expect an entire village. This isn't good. We can't possibly hope to evade the Saxons with all theses people. And I can't leave them here in good conscience.'

The other knights seemed to be thinking the same thing as they approached the house. Arthur announced himself and the gate was opened as a squat little man came out, flanked by two guards.

Arthur got right to the point and said, "Our orders are to evacuate you immediately. Saxons are coming down from the north and Bishop Germanius sent us here to collect you. Where is Alecto?"

A boy around fifteen walked up next to his father, "I am Alecto."

Arthur nodded, "Good. I would ask that once we leave you stay within sight of one of my knights at all times. The Bishop specifically requested that you be looked after." Arthur turned to Marius and said, without a hint of patience, "You are coming back to Hadrian's Wall if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you there myself. My Lord." He added as an afterthought.

The man continued to put up a struggle, claiming that he would not leave his land, until Lancelot dismounted and glared at the man threateningly. "Unless you come with us we cannot be released from this hell we have suffered through for fifteen years. I have no qualms about killing you if you continue to put up a struggle. We were only asked to make sure your son made it back."

After that the family retreated inside to pack. Arthur, however, had already forgotten him and turned instead to face the sickly looking people behind him. The knights all shared the same look. The look that said, 'there goes Arthur on another quest for justice.' They dismounted and walked behind him.

Tristan, however, rode off of the property to scout the Saxon position. He knew that if they waited too long it would be too late to make a safe retreat. He also assumed that they would be bringing the villagers with them; if that were the case, he needed to find a different route. They wouldn't be able to out run the Saxon army on the path they had originally planned to take.

Arthur watched Tristan ride off, with his hawk following him, and then he turned to the villagers. One stepped forward and said, "Sir, you're from Rome, is it true that Marius is a spokesman for God and that it's a sin to defy him?"

Lancelot sighed and shook his head, 'This should be good.' He watched Arthur carefully for the usual signs that he was angry.

Arthur pointed his sword at the man who spoke and said, "I tell you now, Marius is not of God. And you, all of you, were free from your first breath. Now hear me. A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare no one. Gather your things and prepare to leave with us."

With that, Arthur walked away to rejoin his knights. When Tristan came galloping back, he noticed that the wagons were being filled and everyone looked to be ready to leave.

"Arthur, they have flanked us to the east. They're coming from the south, trying to cut off our escape. They'll be here before nightfall." The scout said. "How many?" Arthur asked. Tristan shook his head, "An entire army." Arthur cursed, "And the only way out is to the south?" "No" Tristan said. "There is a trail heading east, through the mountains. It means that we'll have to cross behind Saxon lines, but that's the trail we should take. There is a lake that has frozen over, if necessary, we could break the ice to keep them from following-." Tristan broke off and turned his head. In the distance, the sound of drumbeats could be heard.

The sound only made everyone move faster, but Arthur wasn't concentrating on that. Instead, he turned to the small stone hut that was off to the side of the village. He drew his sword and walked over to it. Tristan sighed, but followed him, as did Lancelot.

"What is this?" Arthur asked the man closest to him. "You cannot go in there." he replied. "I don't believe that's what I asked. Move aside. Dagonet." Arthur called the knight.

Dagonet dismounted and picked up his axe. As he was breaking down the door, Lancelot came next to Arthur and said, "We have no time for this Arthur."

Arthur said, "I know, but this is something I feel I must do." They both turned to Dagonet as they heard the sound of wood breaking. Arthur nodded to Bors, who moved his horse in front of the door after Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain , and Dagonet entered.

Lancelot proceeded first and immediately recoiled after they walked down the steps. There were bodies hanging from the wall. There were cages filled with bodies. None of the knights had ever seen anything as gruesome as this. "See if there are any still alive." Arthur said.

Dagonet opened a small cage and looked into it. He called Arthur over when he saw a small boy in it. He pulled him out of the cage and said, "You must not fear me."

Lancelot found a young woman still alive as well. They checked the rest of the cells, and then walked back up the stairs. Arthur carried the woman, while Dagonet held the child. Gawain and Lancelot pushed the so called monks in front of them.

When they came out of the hut, Arthur and Dagonet examined the former prisoners and took them over to one of the wagons. Dagonet stayed with them and several of the women came over to help look after them.

Galahad looked over at Bors when Arthur passed them and said, "She's a Woad." Bors nodded but then shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'it doesn't matter to Arthur.'

The men from the hut were shoved back into it by the angry villagers, and then the caravan began to move out.

It was slow traveling, but was probably the fastest pace they could set with so many of the villagers walking. The knights knew better than to say anything to Arthur, since he wouldn't leave the people behind.

Arthur took a break and went to check on Dagonet and the two survivors. He looked at Dagonet who said, "He burns. Brave boy." He indicated the small boy he had pulled out of the cell. Arthur nodded and went to see how the woman was doing. He had noticed that her fingers were broken and told her this. He began to set them one by one, trying to ignore her cries of pain.

She looked up at him the whole time he was setting her fingers, as if to tell him that she could withstand the pain or anything he threw at her. She started to talk to him after he was done, she told him that they tortured her and then she said, "I am Guinevere." She looked at him and collapsed, exhausted from the pain that came with resetting her fingers.

At the Saxon camp, Cerdic, the Saxon commander, was listening to report from his scout. He turned to his son, Cynric, and told him to take his division east and hunt down the knights and the family they were protecting. They would meet up at Hadrian's Wall.

Arthur was talking to Guinevere and becoming angrier by the second. Although what she said was true, he didn't want to admit it to himself. He was too attached to Rome and what it represented to see the damage wrought by her empire. He galloped away with many things to think about.

The knights gathered to choose their camping ground, and Arthur sent Tristan ahead to scout the area.

They made camp for the night, and each knight, except for Dagonet, went to one direction of the camp and pitched a tent there. It was more to assure people that they weren't going to abandon them than for anything else. The boy, who Dagonet had learned was named Lucan, had not left his side, and Dagonet knew he wasn't strong enough to stay by himself yet.

Guinevere approached Lancelot and tried to make him see the similarities between himself and her own people; all either of them wanted was freedom. Lancelot sat pensively, thinking over her words and remembering his home.

It was getting late but Lancelot and Arthur were still up, each was thinking about their discussion with Guinevere. Lancelot looked up as he heard a twig snap. Arthur sat up as well and they saw Guinevere walking away. Lancelot nodded to Arthur, who followed her.

Lancelot knew it should be Arthur who followed her. He might be a lady's man, but he always knew when a girl wasn't interested in him. He knew that she preferred Arthur, but he was still attracted to her. She was what he wanted to be; she was free. She was bound to no one, forced to do nothing. He craved the freedom that she represented.

Arthur followed Guinevere until he became aware of a presence ahead of them. He drew Excalibur and threw an accusing look at Guinevere. "You betrayed me" he said while backing away from her and the person ahead.

Guinevere shook her head, "He means you no harm." The approaching figure turned out to be Merlin, the leader of the Woads. "Peace between us this night, Arthur Castus" he said as he walked closer to them.

"So, Rome is leaving. The Saxon is come. The world we have known and fought for is ended. Now we must make a new world." The old leader said.

Arthur shook his head, "Your world, Merlin, not mine. I shall be in Rome."

"To find peace? The Saxon will come to Rome" Merlin stated.

"My knights trust me not to betray them to their enemy" Arthur still refused to listen to him.

"Rome was my enemy, not Arthur" the Woad said. At this, Guinevere spoke, "Arthur, please listen to reason. The Saxon is coming. We cannot defeat them. You cannot defeat them. Even Rome is running from them. The only way we can hope to defeat them is to join forces. It is an act of necessity. You aren't betraying your knights if you do this. You are helping them survive."

Arthur looked at her, then at Merlin for a long time, thinking. Then Merlin spoke, "My men are strong but they have need of a true leader. They believe you can do anything. To defeat the Saxon we will need a master of war. Why do you think I spared you in the woods? It is your destiny."

Arthur's eyes grew cold, "There is no destiny. Only free will." He turned to walk away.

"And what of your knights. Will they have died in vain?" Merlin said to his retreating form. Arthur hesitated a second, then continued on, his shoulders heavy with another burden.

In the early hours of the morning, two of Marius' guards seized Dagonet as he slept and began to hit him. As he fought them back, Marius crept behind Lucan and grabbed him, putting a large dagger against his throat to discourage Dagonet from fighting back.

"I have the boy. Kill him. Kill him now!" Marius said.

Suddenly an arrow was sprouting out of Marius' chest, and Lucan scrambled away from him and back to Dagonet. Guinevere walked calmly towards the guards as Marius fell dead. A bow was in her hands and she was taking aim at them. Arthur and Lancelot followed behind her and Bors came in on horseback.

Arthur gave the guards an ultimatum and they decided that it would be better to help the knights than end up dead. Jols ran forward to retrieve their weapons as Tristan galloped towards them.

"How many did you kill?" Bors asked the scout.

"Four" he answered.

"Hahaha, not a bad start to the day," Bors said.

Tristan rode up to Arthur and dropped the crossbow he was carrying. "Armor-piercing. They made up a lot of time while we camped. We cannot afford to stop again."

"You ride ahead. Everyone else, pack up now and move out!" Arthur said.

Tristan nodded and galloped ahead. As he passed the front of the caravan, he noticed a scuffle forming. Sighing, he dismounted and drew his sword. He walked over to the source of the brawl and noticed several of the guards were circling a young woman. She had dark hair and light eyes. He looked closer and saw that they were gray.

He walked over to them and said, "Didn't you hear Arthur? The Saxons are almost on us and you are wasting time. Move before I make you." He looked at them, daring them to challenge him. One of them did, and before the others could even notice that the knight moved, the guard fell over, dead.

"I suggest you get moving." Tristan said. Then he turned to the girl. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine" she scowled. "Dirty dogs. They surrounded me before I could even put up a fight."

Tristan looked surprised at this. "You can fight?" he asked. "Of course. I've been on the road for almost my whole life, before Marius forced me to work for him. I was captured the same time the Woad was. I am good with a bow and knife, but the guards took them after they captured me." Tristan nodded and said, "I will see what I can do to have them returned to you. For now I must bid you farewell-" he broke off to give her a chance to give her name.

She smirked and said, "I am Kirsa" She said. "And you are?"

"Tristan" He called over his shoulder as he rode away.

Arthur rode next to the wagon that had Alecto and his mother in it. He told the boy he was sorry for his father, even though he wasn't. They argued about predestination and the free will of all men until Arthur mentioned his teacher Pelagius.

"They killed Pelagius a year past. Germanius and the others were damned by his teachings. They had him excommunicated and killed. The Rome you talk of doesn't exist, except in your dreams" Alecto told him.

Arthur was so shocked by this news that he couldn't even guide his horse to continue to move. He simply sat there, absorbing what Alecto told him.

'It can't be true' he repeated to himself. 'But Pelagius hasn't responded to any mail I sent him. What if it is true? What if this whole time, when I've defended Rome to my knights and to others, what if it was all a lie? What if Rome is as terrible as everyone believes it, and I have been too blind to see it?' Arthur tortured himself with these questions until he pushed them aside.

'This isn't the place to think of such things. My men and these people need me to be focused. I can mourn later.'

With that thought, he brought himself under control and rode to the head of the caravan to meet his scout when he returned.

"Arthur, this is the lake I told you of earlier. We have to cross it." Tristan looked at the ice warily but said nothing.

"Very well." he turned to Galahad and Dagonet, "Tell everyone to get out of the wagons and spread out."

Everyone walked slowly across the ice. When they were halfway across they heard the sound of the ice cracking slightly. Arthur prayed that it would hold until they crossed. Then he heard the sound of the Saxon drums closer behind them. He turned to look at his knights.

"Well I'm tired of running. And these Saxons are so close behind my ass is hurting." Bors said as he looked at Arthur.

Arthur looked at Tristan, who said, "Never liked looking over my shoulder anyway." Dagonet gave a small smile and a nod of agreement.

Gawain said, "Be a pleasure to put an end to this racket-" "And finally get a look at the bastards." Galahad finished.

Lancelot was the last to say anything. "It is as good a place to fight as we have found. We will have the advantage of not crossing the ice to get to our enemy."

The knights walked off to the side and Arthur called Jols to get each knight's weapons. He told Ganis, the villager who spoke to him before, to lead the people along the coastline until they were south of the wall. Ganis looked at him like he was crazy. "You're seven against 200?"

"Eight" two people said simultaneously. Guinevere walked forward, as did Kirsa. Guinevere looked at her and nodded, then said to Arthur, "You could use a few more bows."

Dagonet waved to Lucan as the boy watched him sadly. They waited until the caravan was out of sight and then began to prepare for the fight.

Kirsa was next to Tristan, who was on the left end. Next to her was Galahad, then Gawain, Dagonet, Bors, Lancelot, Guinevere, and then Arthur on the right end.

The Saxon army came into view soon and Kirsa gave an involuntary shudder at the sight of them. She did not have happy memories of the Saxon army, or of the man leading them. Tristan saw her reaction and told himself he would ask her about it when they got back to the wall. 'If we get back to the wall,' he thought with a pang.

"You look frightened" Lancelot said to Guinevere. "There are a lot of lonely men out there." "Don't worry, I won't let them rape you." She replied calmly. The rest of the knights snickered, and then focused their attention on the enemy in front of them.

Luckily, it was only a division of the Saxon army. If it had been the whole army, or even two or three divisions, Arthur would have ordered them to retreat. They would never be able to hold their own against that many men.

Everyone had a bow in their hand, and none of them even flinched when a Saxon archer lifted his bow and fired a shot. It fell into the no man's land between the two groups. Their archers couldn't reach them.

Arthur smiled, "I believe they're waiting for an invitation. Bors, Tristan."

"They're out of range" Guinevere protested. Arthur shook his head. Guinevere and Kirsa looked on in wonder as Bors drew back an arrow and Tristan drew back, incredibly, four arrows. They fired simultaneously, and the five arrows found their marks along the first line of Saxons.

Arthur nodded, 'We need to use this to our advantage. They can't hit us but we can hit them.'

All of them drew back an arrow and Arthur said, "Aim for the ends. Force them to cluster." The knights and two women nodded their understanding; they needed to force the Saxons to cluster in the hopes that it would break the ice.

They each fired four arrows, by then the Saxon army had closed the gap between them by half and Arthur was worried. The ice was still holding.

"Back" he cried. "Prepare for combat."

They dropped their bows and pulled out their swords. Kirsa and Guinevere held onto their bows since they didn't have swords and continued to shoot the Saxons. Tristan, as well, continued to shoot the Saxons. He knew he could draw his sword when they were closer. For now, he could kill more soldiers shooting than he could standing and waiting for them to come at him.

Suddenly, Dagonet broke the rank and ran forward, swinging his axe like a madman. Tristan cursed, knowing exactly what Dagonet was doing. 'Damn it, Dagonet, I won't let you sacrifice yourself. That boy needs you. We need you!' He thought.

Tristan put his bow down and grabbed his shield, thanking Jols for leaving it with him. Then he ran after Dagonet.

"Cover them," Arthur yelled. And they all picked up their bows once more and shot at the Saxons. They aimed for the Saxon archers, because they were the ones that posed a threat to Tristan and Dagonet.

Dagonet, unaware of the fact that Tristan was running behind him, began to swing his axe with all his might.

'I need to break the ice!' he thought as he swung his axe again.

Although he heard the fateful _twang_ of arrows being released by the Saxon crossbows, he didn't stop to try and shield himself. He heard the arrows coming towards him, and looked up when he heard a soft gasp and then the sound of arrows hitting something solid.

Tristan had reached Dagonet just as the arrows were about to hit him. He put his shield in front of the knight, but two of the arrows caught him on his unprotected side. One hit his left shoulder, and the other buried itself in his side.

He gasped at the pain, but held his shield firmly in front of Dagonet, who looked up at him with silent thanks. Although Dagonet couldn't see his friend's wounds, the other knights did, and renewed their efforts to take out the Saxon archers.

'Tristan can't hold out much longer. One of the arrows went into his side. It is costing him a lot to hold his shield up.' Arthur thought as he shot off another arrow.

Dagonet swung his axe again, and with a mighty heave, brought it down on the ice. The ice finally gave way, and giant cracks opened in the ice. At first the ice cracked under the Saxon line, where the majority of the weight was. As the ice cracked, both Tristan and Dagonet lost their balance.

The knights saw Tristan fall and they feared the worst. Arthur ran out to help them and provide some cover. He grabbed Tristan's shield as Dagonet half dragged, half pulled Tristan back to their line.

The Saxons were falling in where the ice cracked, and the knights only stopped firing when they ran out of arrows. They were all scared that Tristan would be brought back dead. Kirsa, too, was afraid for Tristan. He had saved her from the guards, and she had hoped to prove her worth to him by staying to fight. If she was honest with herself, she knew she was attracted to the dark and silent knight. 'But who would ever love me?' she thought to herself.

The Saxons were forced to retreat back to the base of the lake, and Dagonet had gotten Tristan back to the other knights. They could hear him breathing, which was both good and bad. Good because he was obviously still alive, but bad in that he was struggling to breath, which meant that he was very injured.

Arthur came back and told them to move out; they needed to get Tristan back to Hadrian's Wall so Vanora could look at his wounds. They didn't dare remove the arrows, so for now they cut most of the arrow off.

Dagonet looked stricken as he led Tristan's horse over to Arthur. 'It's my fault that Tristan's injured. If I hadn't gone out he wouldn't have had to follow me.

Tristan winced as Arthur and Bors helped him onto his horse and Dagonet held the horse's reins. He looked up at Dagonet and said hoarsely, "I don't blame you for this, you know. I chose to follow you…" he broke off, wheezing, but continued on stubbornly. "You risked your life to break the ice, the least I could have done was go to help you."

Dagonet nodded, shocked that Tristan could see how upset Dagonet was with himself, and at what the scout said to him.

Arthur and Dagonet stayed close to Tristan, leading his horse and watching to make sure he didn't fall off. Tristan tried not to show it, but he was in a lot of pain. The arrows in his side and his arm were bad enough, but being on horseback didn't help. To distract himself, and to try to lighten the mood, he said, "Hey, we are really free now."

"Yea, either that or we're going to war with Rome" Lancelot said. That earned a laugh from everyone, and soon, the morose mood that had taken everyone over was slightly lifted. Gawain and Galahad talked about what they were going to do now that they were truly free. Lancelot listened as Bors told him of his plans with Vanora and all of his children.

Arthur remained silent, though. He didn't know what he would do anymore. He still wasn't sure that he could go to Rome, knowing Pelagius wouldn't be there. Dagonet, too, remained silent. He knew he would probably either follow Arthur or Bors, depending on their plans. Tristan didn't talk only because he was in too much pain to say anything else.

Kirsa noticed that Tristan was hiding how much pain he was really in, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she spoke to Guinevere about her people. Kirsa hoped to join them since she didn't have anywhere else to go and was good at fighting.

Everyone's talk was interrupted, though, when Arthur and Dagonet both yelled Tristan's name as he fell from his horse. Arthur caught before he could fall out of his saddle, but everyone knew that Tristan needed a healer immediately.

"We need to ride faster. Tristan's out of it for now, but he needs to get to the Wall before it's too late." Everyone nodded their agreement as they cast a worried glance to the unconscious knight. Arthur got out a rope and tied Tristan to the saddle to keep him upright, then they broke off in a gallop towards Hadrian's Wall.

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Alright, there's chapter 3! Hope you liked it.

For anyone who is wondering how Tristan was shot in his left side I will explain it now. Yes, Tristan (and everyone else) holds their shield with their left arm. But if Tristan were trying to protect someone (Dagonet) then he would have put his shield in front of them. Therefore, he would have twisted his body in order to place the shield in front of them quicker. That would leave his left side open, with his right side facing the way he came. If you still don't get it then stand up and act it out.

And yes, Kirsa is Tristan's OC.

Always,  
Sinkme


	4. Recovering and Kirsa

Alright, here's chapter 4!

And many thanks to my reviewers: T.Dahila and ExtremeAngelxJeffHardyFan!!!

I'm changing the timeline of the movie so that the Saxons don't come to the Wall for about a week after Arthur and co return.

I'm also adding in some background for Kirsa.

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They came to the Wall at a full gallop, not bothering to slow down until it became evident that the gate wouldn't be opened in time.

Arthur yelled up to the gatekeepers, "Hurry and open the gate! Tristan is injured." The men moved quickly to open the gate. After fifteen years at the Wall, the guards had come to know each knight, and hearing that one of them was injured was like losing one of their own.

Arthur and Dagonet led Tristan to the stables while Lancelot and Gawain hurriedly dismounted and ran to the tavern to alert Vanora. The caravan looked on in a panic as the bloody and unconscious knight was taken down from his horse and carried to the tavern.

Alecto looked rather upset, seeing the price that was paid for his safe passage to Rome. He silently vowed to himself that when he went to Rome he would make changes for the betterment of everyone. He wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps.

The townspeople moved out of the knights' way as they took Tristan to Vanora. There was a room in the back of the tavern that had been turned into a sort of hospital, and they placed him on one of the many beds that occupied the room.

Vanora and Adele gasped when they entered the room and saw Tristan. His entire left side was covered in blood and his face was paler than usual, making the tattoos on his cheeks stand out even more.

Arthur couldn't stand to see the usually untouchable knight so vulnerable and turned to Vanora. "Find me when you're done." He strode out of the room, glancing back only to see Dagonet still rooted where he stood.

Although each knight had acquired dozens of scars from their fifteen years of service, each knight had only had one or two wounds that could prove fatal. Arthur shuddered as he remembered when Gawain had been stabbed in the chest when they were outnumbered by Woads almost a year ago. Arthur could never stay in the room when Vanora worked on his knights; it hurt him too much to see them so helpless.

"Move!" Vanora said urgently to Dagonet as she and Adele moved around the room, gathering the things they needed to treat Tristan. "You won't help him by being here. Leave for now, I'll let you all know when I'm done." With that, she started to cut away his shirt to get to the arrows better.

Dagonet nodded and walked out of the room. He saw the rest of the knights standing at their customary table looking up at him anxiously. "She's just started to work on him but it looks bad." The knights were silent at that until Gawain spoke. "Well, standing here isn't going to do anything to help Tristan. I suggest we hunt down that Bishop and get our papers so we can be discharged."

The others nodded in agreement; they all knew that they needed a distraction. They walked into the conference room to find Arthur talking with the Bishop.

"Ah, just the man we were looking for. Bishop, I trust we can claim our papers now." Lancelot said, not bothering to hide his evident sarcasm.

The Bishop nodded, "Of course, I was just coming to find you myself. Yes, you are free now." The Bishop looked on as the five knights walked forward to claim their papers. Dagonet took Tristan's and nodded to the others, and then he went in search of Lucan.

The boy was sitting in the armory with Guinevere and Kirsa, who were teaching him how to how a bow properly. He looked up when Dagonet entered and ran over to the tall knight. "I'm going to be a great knight, just like you," he said proudly. Dagonet looked down at the small boy and said, "I don't doubt that" Then he added quietly, "but I hope you don't have to become a knight."

Dagonet whittled the rest of the day away with Lucan, teaching him the basics of fighting. He noticed with a start that the sun was setting. 'Tristan,' he thought with a panic, 'what could be taking so long?' He didn't want to think about what would happen if the quiet knight were to die. 'I would never forgive myself,' he thought.

He joined the rest of the knights in the tavern, and within the hour, Vanora came out, looking exhausted, but victorious. "He'll be fine. We had a rough time earlier, but he's resting now, and hopefully he'll stay in bed long enough to fully recover.

The knights gave a weak laugh at that, Tristan was notorious for leaving the hospital before he was actually healed. "And yes, before you ask, you can visit him. Just don't tire him out too much. We all came very close to losing him." She said the last part quietly, but the knights all heard her. Bors pulled her into her arms, where she broke down crying.

He motioned to the other knights that he would take her upstairs and would see Tristan tomorrow. Kirsa and Guinevere were also in the tavern, and Kirsa decided to visit Tristan after the knights came out. Guinevere declined when Kirsa asked if she wanted to come. "It wouldn't feel right, since I barely know him. And besides, you obviously have feelings for him." Kirsa's face went hot at this, but she didn't say anything.

The knights moved into the room quietly, looking down at Tristan in his bed. They pulled several chairs up and sat next to him, happy to see that he was breathing and seemed to be in a lot less pain than before.

"I wondered when you scoundrels would pop in," Tristan said weakly. The knights just looked at him; they hadn't even known he was awake.

"We just came to make sure you weren't dead yet" Lancelot said. "You all still owe me from the bet we made on our last mission."

"Seriously, though, we are glad that you're getting better. And we're all going to make sure you stay in bed this time! You scared us with that little stunt earlier." Gawain said.

Tristan nodded solemnly, although he was already plotting on how he could get out of bed earlier without them stopping him.

The knights all left soon after that, except Dagonet, although Tristan expected him to stay behind. Tristan looked over to the big knight's face and saw worry and guilt.

'He's really beating himself up over this isn't he?' Tristan thought. He decided to speak first to keep Dagonet from worrying that he blamed him.

"Dag, I have no doubt in my mind that if I hadn't followed you out here, our places would have been switched, but I wouldn't change that. You made the choice to sacrifice yourself for all of us. Don't lie!" Tristan said as he watched the knight shake his head. "You could have died, and I wasn't ready to let that happen, so I chose to follow you out there. There was nothing you could have done to prevent me from following you, and it isn't your fault I am hurt."

Dagonet just looked at the knight, thinking about all the times that Tristan had saved them from walking into a trap or the enemy. 'None of us really acknowledge how important his role as a scout is.' He looked at the pale knight sadly.

"Thank you, Tristan." In those three words, Tristan heard a story from Dagonet and knew that the knight was referring to more than the ice lake. Tristan simply nodded and grasped Dagonet's arm. Dagonet nodded back and gave handed him his discharge papers, then left.

'Should I call her in now, or make her wait a little longer?' Tristan wondered.

Just as he was about to tell Kirsa she could come in, she surprised him by walking in herself. He looked at her, thinking, 'She is different from the other girls. Good. It will keep things interesting.'

"I was wondering when you would come in" Tristan teased.

Kirsa just looked at him, 'He almost died and yet he can still find it in him to joke about things.' She shook her head and took the seat closest to him.

"I wanted to wait until after the other knights left. I think they needed to see that you were alive. They were all very worried about you, you know" She continued to tell him about how they had waited outside all day, only leaving to get their discharge papers.

"Why are you afraid of the Saxons?" Tristan suddenly asked when Kirsa had stopped talking in order to breath.

'How does he know that?' Her eyes narrowed, but she looked at the knight and said, "What do you mean?"

"I saw the look in your eyes when they were approaching us at the ice lake. There was something in them beyond normal fear. Something happened and it affected you deeply" Tristan said quietly, although he knew she heard every word.

Kirsa knew that it wouldn't help her to lie to Tristan. 'I've been keeping this to myself for too long. And Tristan is a good listener. I know he won't judge me.'

"Well, to start, I am from Sarmatia. You're from the Alauni tribe aren't you? I know the men from your tribe have tattoos on their cheeks, but what do they mean?" Tristan cleared his throat to let her know that she was changing the topic and she looked sheepish, then continued.

"I am from a smaller branch of the Mysian tribe. We were destroyed by the Saxons when they came down from the north. All the men, even the little boys, were killed." She turned to look away and brush her tears away and Tristan took her other hand in his. "The women, including me, were taken as prisoners. You can imagine why I hate the Saxons." Tristan nodded, he knew that the Saxons were brutal and he didn't push her to tell him what they did to her; he could guess well enough.

"After a month I escaped. By that time almost all of the other women were either dead or too weak to run. On the road I met a knight who traveled with me and taught me to fight and defend myself. He left when we were in view of Marius' house. That's when I met Guinevere. The next day, Marius' guards captured us and forced us to work. Guinevere put up a fight and they took her into the hut. You and the other knights came about a month later."

Tristan sat, speechless that she would trust him enough to tell him all of that. He looked at the woman in front of him and realized that she was someone that he could spend time with.

'Most people annoy me, they constantly bicker about meaningless things and insist on talking to me when I would rather be left alone. Kirsa seems to be like me. She's less sociable than other women I've met. But what could she possibly see in me?'

Kirsa looked down at Tristan, and although his face was as emotionless as ever, she could see the emotions swirling behind his amber eyes. Unconciously, she moved one of his braids out of his face. She blushed after she realized what she just did and then stammered, "I-I'll see you tomorrow, then." She fled, embarrassed that she had done that.

Tristan lay there, thinking. 'She's definitely different from any other girl I've met. Most of the girls in town were afraid of him.' He smirked; he didn't blame them. He knew he was secretive and often too mysterious for his own good. He was almost always out scouting and he nearly always returned bloody from the Woads he had killed. Stories had sprouted about him being a demon. The other knights killed as well, but they were much more sociable than Tristan.

'Maybe spending more time with Kirsa won't be a bad thing.' Was Tristan's last thought before he fell asleep.


	5. Memories and Before the Fight: Tristan

Here's Ch.5!

**Note**: I've decided to add something in that might confuse you if you don't read this!

Since there were so many knights to begin with, I decided that Arthur, after testing each recruit, seperated all of them into several squads of six or seven knights. For smaller missions, he would lead one squad while the others stayed to guard the Wall. When they had larger missions, two or three squads would go. Tristan's squad is the core from the movie: Galahad, Gawain, Lancelot, Bors, and Dagonet. At the beginning of the story, only Tristan's group remained at Hadrian's Wall with Arthur as their leader. There were other squads that were sent closer to Rome since Rome is withdrawing from Britain.

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Tristan spent the next day in bed thinking about the future. _I don't feel any different now that I'm free. I don't know that I expected anything to change drastically, but I thought at least I would feel something. _

He sighed and inevitably began to think about the last fifteen years he spent as a knight. The first thought he had was of Bedivere, the only knight who had fully accepted Tristan's silent demeanor. Tristan forced himself not to remember the day Bedivere had been killed. He remembered how hard they had all fought that day, and he remembered Dagonet trying to help Bedivere, even when they all knew it was too late. 

Tristan grinned as he recalled the first year of his knighthood. He had been sixteen and among the oldest of everyone. Tristan knew he had always been quieter than the othey knights, and that had set him apart. He didn't try to get to know many of the knights, knowing that most of them would die. So he isolated himself and watched from afar. 

Dagonet was one of the few knights who had been accepted by everyone. He was kind and easy going, but ferocious when he fought. He remembered when Dagonet had tried to teach him hand to hand combat.

"_Tristan, this is something you will need as a knight" Dagonet had explained to him calmly. Tristan had nodded, grudgingly accepting the truth behind Dagonet's words, and got into his stance. Dagonet walked over and calmly but firmly corrected Tristan's entire stance; planting his feet firmly shoulder width apart, forcing his knees to bend, and then bringing his arms up into a guard position in front of his face. Then Dagonet walked over to his bag and withdrew weights. He strapped two of them to Tristan's wrists and two to his ankles. Tristan accepted the new weight with a nod and began to mimic Dagonet's movement as he walked him through in the basics of each punch and kick._

Tristan would have laughed at the memory, except for the discomfort in his side. Gawain, too, was popular with most of the knights. Gawain had a soft spot for Galahad, since they were from sister tribes, and had looked out for him until he learned to fight on his own. Gawain often bore the brunt of Galahad's temper and never complained about it. 

Tristan lay on the bed thinking about the first time he had met the knights in his squad. 

_He looked over at the five boys who he was to fight with for the next fifteen years. He kept his face blank but cringed inwardly as he observed each boy. 'Why did the pup and his caretaker have to be with me?' he groaned inwardly as he watched Galahad and Gawain out of the corner of his eye. 'Galahad is the weakest of everyone, he will only be a hinderance. Unless Gawain watches over him, he'll probably be the first to die. He's too young and inexperienced. He can't even hold a sword right. He's too attached to Sarmatia to focus on a battle and his temper will get him killed.' _

_He looked at the boy next to Galahad, 'If Gawain didn't have to care for the pup I suspect he would be a good fighter. I watched him in the tests, he held his own for a while against Arthur. Too kind, though. He needs to let the pup learn on his own.' Tristan's eyes continued to roam around the circle of boys until they rested on the boy with dark curly hair. 'Ah, there's a fighter.' Tristan thought with a grin. 'His fight with Arthur was fierce, but he's still attached to Sarmatia as well.'_

_He barely spared a glance to the two boys in the corner. 'They're by far the biggest boys here. They must be from the Basternae tribes; they seem different enough in temperment to be from different camps of the tribe. The one on the left is obnoxious and loud. I'd take the other one any day over him. He seems to be skilled as a healer, I heard him mention it to Arthur after his test. They're both aggressive fighters; maybe they're here to make up for the pup.'_

_Tristan sighed and sat back. 'I already know my spot in this merry little band of misfits. I'm the scout. And thank Arthur's God. It will be a welcome reprieve to leave this group to scout on my own. I'll be thankful to kill some Britons on my own after listening to this racket for the next fifteen years.' _

_Arthur walked up to the squad and Tristan found himself analyzing the commander. 'He's definitely a Roman. There's no question there. But underneath it all, he's just like us.' Tristan looked around, 'Well, maybe similar to us. He's a skilled fighter and seems to be a good tactician, based on how he set up the squads.'_

Tristan did laugh at that memory; he ignored the slight sting in his side as he stretched his stitches and laughed at how wrong he had been about each knight. 'I have found great comrades in each man, even Galahad.' Tristan's face darkened as he remembered the time when Arthur had asked Galahad to scout a band of Saxons that had deserted the main army and ventured too far into Roman territory to remain unnoticed. He shook his head to dispel that memory, but thought, 'As painful as it was, it helped to unite all of us. Especially me and Galahad.' 

Tristan recalled how Gawain and Dagonet had tried to teach Galahad how to sword fight and other basics of being a knight. They were constantly giving him tips and advice, but Galahad never seemed to grasp what they were saying. He remembered how he had reluctantly taught Galahad had to shoot an arrow.

_He had been shooting at the archery range to relieve his boredom and to escape the noise that was the other knights. He felt rather than saw someone approach him from behind and whirled around to face them. He was surprised to see Galahad there but didn't betray his shock. 'Galahad is even worse with a bow than he is with a sword.' Tristan thought as he tried to ignore the boy. Instead, Galahad moved over to his side and watched his every movement carefully, as if he were trying to memorize what he did. 'He must be watching me to figure out how to shoot an arrow. Why doesn't he ask me himself?'_

_After he fired four more arrows, Tristan turned to look at Galahad and motioned with his arm for him to move over. "Come on, pup. I don't have all day." Instead of responding to the nickname as he usually did, Galahad looked at Tristan with his mouth open. 'That's probably the most words I've said to him at once,' Tristan thought with amusement, although his face remained blank._

_Tristan sighed with impatience as Galahad remained standing in the same spot. He tugged the boy over to stand in front of the target and motioned for him to set his bow up. By this time, Galahad had gathered his few wits back and took his stance with his bow. _

_Tristan nodded, 'It's no wonder he's terrible ar archery. His stance is completely wrong. There's no way he could even draw an arrow back with the stance he has.' _

_He walked over to Galahad and moved his legs further apart and moved the bow down in his grip. Then he fixed his hands so that his grip was more natural and relaxed and moved the bow so it rested on his body. He handed Galahad an arrow and motioned for him to string it._

_Galahad looked up at him with big eyes and Tristan almost smiled at the boy. Galahad drew the arrow back and fired. It missed the target completely but it sailed hard and fast. _

_Tristan nodded and patted Galahad on the back as the boy jumped in the air. 'He's so excitable,' he thought with amusement. Before Galahad could turn around and talk to him, Tristan disappeared into the shadows to watch what the boy would do next._

_Galahad turned around to thank Tristan, but saw that he had disappeared. He shrugged and carefully took his stance again. He nocked another arrow and let it fly. This time he concentrated on accuracy and it hit the edge of the target. _

_Tristan watched in amusement and a little bit of pride as Galahad stayed at the range practicing until it was too dark to see. 'Maybe there's hope yet for you, pup' he thought before making his way to the tavern._

As Tristan became more and more bored, he began to remember all the training sessions he had with the others knights. 'Lancelot was always good to spar with' he thought dejectedly. 

_At first, Lancelot had teased Tristan about his curved sword. After the other boys had tried fighting with it, they questioned how he moved so gracefully with such a heavy and awkward sword. Tristan had just shrugged and told them that it was the only sword he had ever used, so he was accustomed to it. _

_Usually they kept a record of wins and losses, but Lancelot and Tristan had practiced together too many times to keep track of. Tristan ignored Lancelot's usual taunts as he always did and waited patiently for the curly haired knight to attack. He carefully watched Lancelot's chest for any sign of his movements, but the knight didn't give anything away until the last second. Tristan smirked as Lancelot charged in; Lancelot could never out wait Tristan. _

_Tristan liked to spar with Lancelot the most out of all the knights because he could always trust Lancelot to go all out in their fight. They used real swords and aimed to kill or maim; the other knights protested this, but as the two knights pointed out that their enemies wouldn't attack them gently with practice swords, the knights stopped harassing them about it. _

_Lancelot used his twin swords to force Tristan into a defensive stance. Tristan was fine to wait for Lancelot to exhaust himself and watched his swords for any holes in his stance. As usual, the other knights had stopped their training to watch them spar, but both knights were too drawn into the fight to notice. Suddenly a hole opened in Lancelot's attack as he brought one sword down in a half circle and his other sword remained still in his other hand. Quick as lightening, Tristan avoided the attack as his sword snaked up to rest on Lancelot's throat. _

_The knights called out to them, cheering on Tristan and jeering at Lancelot. Bors called out and told Tristan to shave off Lancelot's beard. Tristan just removed his sword from Lancelot's neck and stepped back, putting his sword back in its scabbard. "Good fight Tristan. You can always keep me humble" Lancelot said jovialy. "That's good since he hasn't found a woman to do that for him" the other knights snickered at the comment but Lancelot brushed it aside, used to their jokes. _

_Tristan stayed to watch the others spar and looked at Galahad's fight with a nod of approval, 'the pup is finally improving.' Lancelot called him over for a rematch and they resumed their fighting stances._

Tristan groaned with boredom, 'I need to get out of here! But even I know that I'm too weak to get up yet. I'll need to put up with this for at least another day, maybe two' Tristan almost screamed with frustration. 'I wonder when the Saxon army will come. I just hope that they wait until I can fight.'

He looked up as Arthur walked in. Tristan spoke before Arthur could ask him how he was feeling, "I'm fine Arthur. I'd be up now if I could. I know you need someone to scout the Saxon's position."

Arthur blinked in surprise, "You don't miss anything, do you? Even when you almost die you still seem to know everything that's going on."

Tristan shook his head stubbornly, "I didn't almost die, and I'm fine now."

Arthur said no more on the subject, but Tristan could tell that he had really scared Arthur by the look in his commander's eyes. "And don't worry about the Saxons yet. I sent Galahad out to scout them."

Tristan grimaced after Arthur said that, and he knew that the tattooed knight was remembering the first time he had sent Galahad to scout Saxons alone. "That won't happen again, Tristan. Galahad isn't the scared knight he was when he first came here" Arthur said gently. 

"I know, Arthur" _but I still worry_. He left that unsaid, but he knew Arthur understood. 

"Where are the villagers going to go?" Tristan asked, in an effort to change the subject. 

"Well, as you know, the Romans have begun pulling out of Britain, and the guards started leaving three days ago. They'll all be gone by tomorrow and we will be the only defense the Wall has. There are a few villagers who have elected to stay and fight, but the majority of them will leave today and tomorrow and will follow a route south along the coast until they get to the fort at Aluana." Arthur hesitated before continuing, "Guinevere has been talking to Merlin about joining forces against the Saxons."

Arthur paused to gauge his scout's reaction. Tristan frowned, thinking it over. 'Well, it would be a suicide mission without the Woads to fill out our numbers. I don't have anything against them, since they've only fought us because we fought for Rome. Now that Rome is gone we have no quarrel. We also have a common enemy in the Saxons. I think this could work.'

Realizing that Arthur was watching him, Tristan said, "I think it is a good plan."

Arthur heard the meaning behind Tristan's words and nodded gratefully; he could only hope that the others would understand why he had to do this. 

"Who is staying?" Tristan didn't need to say that he was asking about the other knights, Arthur knew who he was referring to. 

"I don't know. I don't have the will to ask them about it and no one has brought it up," he said guiltily. 

"I will stay with you" Tristan stated calmly and Arthur could only look at his scout in wonder. 'He didn't hesitate at all, and he knows, probably better than I do, that even with the Woads' help this will be as close to a suicide mission as we have ever come.'

Arthur shook his head in amusement as Tristan tried to sit up, waving off the hand he offered for support. "Be careful," Arthur told him as he left the room. "Vanora will kill me if I let you get out of bed."

The knight just smiled and laid back down, sleep finally claiming him. 

It was dark when he awoke and Tristan frowned as his stomach rumbled. 'At least now I have an excuse to get up,' he thought as he sat up carefully and shuffled over to the door. He saw Gawain, Dagonet, and Bors sitting in their usual table and made his way over to them. 

They yelled at him, as he anticipated, and Vanora had even smacked him on the head for leaving his bed too soon. He waved them off and bit hungrily into the bread Vanora had brought him. 

"What news?" he asked in between bites. 

Dagonet watched him with a smile and answered, "The Romans have left, as have half of the villagers. I assume Arthur has told you of his plan?" 

Tristan nodded as he swallowed. "Yes, he mentioned it to me. I thought it was a good idea. We will need numbers against the Saxons and the Woads are good fighters."

"We've fought them enough to know that they are skilled" Gawain put in, his long hair moving across his shoulders as he shook his head. "I don't know. I understand that they only fought us because we were knights for Rome, but I still get jittery when I see one. I don't know what I might do on a battlefield if I were to turn around and see a Woad with their sword raised."

"How have Lancelot and Galahad taken the news?" Tristan asked as he munched on some meat. 

Bors snorted, "How do you think Lancelot's taken it? Galahad's still out scouting. Seems that the Saxons were further away than we had thought they were" Tristan just shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat. 

After he had finished, Tristan picked up one of Gawain's throwing knives and challenged him to a throwing contest. "Why do you bother, you know you'll win" Gawain said as they took their places in front of the board. 

"I need to make sure I'm ok" Tristan said. The other three nodded; they knew that injuries could affect their fighting reactions, and Tristan needed to be sure he was ok before the battle with the Saxons. 

Gawain threw first and missed the bullseye by a mile. Tristan threw his and it landed a hair's width away from the outside of the bullseye circle. As they continued, Tristan's aim got better and better, and before they ended the competition, he was able to hit the butt end of the knife that Gawain had thrown. 

He hobbled back to bed, feeling better now that he had eaten and assured himself that he hadn't lost any of his prowess in battle skills. He still needed to test his archery and swordsmanship, but he knew it was too early to pick up either his sword or his bow, so he prepared himself to wait. 

When he entered the room, he saw someone sitting on a chair next to his bed. "Who's there?" he called out, knowing that it would be safer for him to ask them first as opposed to his usual method of physically incapacitating them before asking.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" the person said in a voice that he recognized.

"Kirsa?" he asked as he walked into the room. 

"Yes, of course! And where were you? You shouldn't be up yet, you're still injured" she walked over to him to help him get on the bed, but he waved her away.

Tristan lay down in the bed and looked up at her, "You look beautiful when you're angry." Although he did mean it, it was more to distract her than to compliment her. Women were Lancelot's speciality, Tristan didn't know much about charming women. 

Kirsa stopped her rant and looked at Tristan. 'Did he tell me I looked beautiful?' 

She calmed down considerably and sat next to him. "Tristan, I wanted to ask you something, but please don't feel like you have to andwer this to make me feel better" she paused and seemed to collect her thoughts. "I-I wanted to know what you thought of me."

She looked down as Tristan thought about the implications of her question. 

'It's obvious that she means for us to be more than friends. I don't really know her that well, but she is different from the other girls I've met. She's more confident, definitely stronger, and yet more reserved than the village girls who have chased after me. I don't want to say the wrong thing, so I'll keep to the middle ground.'

Tristan looked up at her and spoke quietly, but in a strong voice, "I know what you're asking, but for now I'm not going to answer that question. I will say instead that you are different from any other girl I have met" he chuckled when her face fell. "I mean that in a good way. You are strong and driven, and you aren't annoying as girls your age usually are. That being said, I would like to get to know you better and have you know me better as well before I answer that question."

He watched her face as she digested what he had said. 

'That was a clever answer. He didn't tell me one way or another, so he's leaving it up to me and how I act around him in the next couple of days' she thought.

"Thank you for answering me, Tristan. I would like to get to know you as well. For now, though, you need to sleep or Vanora will see to it that I don't visit you again."

She stood gracefully and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.

Tristan closed his eyes with a sigh, 'There is much to do before the Saxons come. I need to heal faster.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yes, I know this was short and I'm sorry, but I'm planning on doing a series of small chapters before the Saxons come. Each chapter will focus on one of the characters and have flashbacks and show what they are doing and thinking before the fight.

Always, 

Sinkme


End file.
